Ikebana: Japanese way of body arrangement?
by Ice And Fire Vanessa
Summary: Harry decides to try Ikebana and gets Draco to help - resulting in some friction.The problem is, what is the definition of Ikebana?


Ikebana - Japanese way of arranging flowers or bodies?  
  
Well, you'll soon see the answer if you go on reading this piece of HP/DM slash.  
  
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He set down the stalks of roses, chrysanthemums, tulips and god-knows- whatever-other-flowers he got. It had taken him one hour to finish selecting the flowers and he wasn't even sure if they made a nice flower arrangement. Hell, did chrysanthemums and roses go well together? It seemed slightly foolish and colourblind an idea to Harry now as he sighed. Afterall, he'd never seen bright yellow and dark red flowers in an arrangement before . . . not that he had seen many arrangements.  
  
'Ok, so we need the vase,' Harry murmured to himself, wishing Draco was nearby to consult but the taller wizard was still at work and was estimated to return only in an hour's time (and by then, Harry added silently to himself, the flowers would have either died of embarrassment or get tossed out of the window by me).  
  
The vase was found at last, dusty and with sides cracking. 'Reparo,' Harry muttered while jabbing the vase with his wand, the cracks sealed themselves. He muttered now, 'Scourgify,' and watched with satisfaction as the dust vanished and the vase looked as good as new. Ok, so he had better start the Ikebana now.  
  
He set about separating the flowers first (roses to the left, chrysanthemums to the middle, tulips to right and unknown flowers - just dump them on the table in a pile). Then, he filled the vase with water and paused. What now?  
  
'I suppose I put all the roses in first,' Harry was unsure but compromised by throwing all the stalks of red roses into the vase. Then, he mechanically added all the other flowers and then set about mixing them for a more bright effect. At last, he stood back to admire his handiwork. The roses looked slightly depressed, being squashed by the big tulips, and the thorns of the roses were tearing at the chrysanthemums' stalks. Very bad, Harry admitted.  
  
'Just what in the name of Merlin is that?' Harry jumped just as Draco Apparated next to him and picked up the vase, wrinkling his nose in disgust. Draco gingerly picked up one stalk of rose and a stalk of chrysanthemum, obviously comparing their colours and trying not to wince.  
  
'It's Ikebana,' Harry's lips formed a small pout at Draco's rather negative reaction towards the flower arrangement. Draco's grey eyes widened with what seemed to be a mixture of artistic horror and amusement as he repeated, 'Ickybana as in the Chinese way of body arrangement?'  
  
It was Harry's turn to look mortified as he corrected his lover, 'It's Ikebana not Ickybana. And it's the *Japanese* way of *flower* arrangement,' Draco seemed to be unabashed by his apparent lack of aesthetic knowledge but simply repeated, 'Ikebana? You call *that* Ikebana?'  
  
'At least I don't call that "Ickybana",' Harry gave up trying to rectify the whole arrangement and simply sat on the tabletop, pouting, while Draco raised his eyebrows. Draco was literally a life-size sculpture of his father, Lucius Malfoy, Harry realised as he waited for Draco to respond and hopefully, help him with the arrangement.  
  
'This whole damned thing is for Weasel's marriage, isn't it?' Draco dropped the stalks and walked over to Harry, pulling off his travelling cloak to reveal a champagne-coloured silk shirt and long black pants as he hung his cloak on the hooks provided. Harry sighed. Three years into forced peace and Draco still called Ron "Weasel". They were all twenty years old now but when Draco and Ron were in the same function, they still acted like eleven- year-olds.  
  
'It's "Ron", Draco,' Harry corrected while allowing offering his cheek to Draco. Draco dropped a slight kiss before resuming his questioning, 'Yes or no, Harry,'  
  
'Well, yes. Their wedding's in a week and I want to put an ever-lasting spell on the flower arrangement,' he added the last bit with the enthusiasm of a four-year-old as Draco looked pointedly at the vase and rolled his eyes. 'You want to put an ever-lasting spell on that freaky thing?!' Draco repeated, sounding as though the idea was incredulous.  
  
'It's quite nice, isn't it?' Harry tugged at Draco's sleeve with the begging eyes of a child as Draco sighed and said bluntly, 'Harry, Weasel and his wife aren't going to be grateful to you if you sent them such a terrible-looking object. Granted, they will still thank you and look happy on the exterior but they'll know inside that you aren't a very good florist,'  
  
Harry resumed pouting. Draco could be very blunt when he wanted to and equally sarcastic.  
  
'Well, so, what are you sitting there pouting for? Much as I dislike Weasel, I'll still help you do the arrangement,' Draco gave up at last and lifted Harry bodily down from the table top. He might only have been five or six centimetres taller but Draco was rather strong and could lift Harry easily.  
  
'Let's see the mess you have made,' Draco steered Harry towards the table.  
  
'It's not a mess,' Harry retorted while Draco forcefully made him take out all the stalks of flowers and put them in the sink. Draco's bony yet strong fingers wrapped around Harry's as he guided the other man through the basic steps. Harry was forced to take a pair of scissors and cut the stalks all to approximately the same height range ('Why can't I use magic?' Harry had asked impertinently only to get a response, 'You want to show sincerity not how good your magic is. Anyway, Ikebana is a muggle way,').  
  
'Very well, next, you stand back and see from afar all the colours and analyse,' Draco seemed to be exasperated by Harry's lack of cooperation.  
  
'Merlin, Harry, are you colourblind or something?' Draco asked as he looked at the mismatching colours. 'How can deep red match nicely with either blue or yellow?' Draco commented.  
  
'It's not my fault. The florist didn't stop me,'  
  
'And did you, my dear little Harry, tell her you wanted to arrange it together?' Sarcasm often worked well to make Harry shut up with his childish excuses.  
  
' . . .'  
  
'I see you get my point. Now move back a bit and try to think with me how to rectify this horrible sight,'  
  
Harry moved backwards, he unconsciously backed until his jeans-clad knee slid in between Draco's legs, brushing against the blonde's right leg. Draco was the first to realise for he sharply breathed once and tried to clear his head. It really wouldn't do if he ended up on the floor with Harry at *it*. It being the thing he felt like doing right now but was controlling himself.  
  
'Now what?' was it Draco's imagination or was it that Harry had made his voice huskier and more *seductive*? Draco tried to inch sideways so that he wouldn't be trapped by Harry. But coincidentally, Harry tried to move sideways also, so that he could see the flowers at another angle.  
  
Draco tried again, this time, he tried gently nudging Harry's leg away but to no avail. Draco tried slipping his leg under Harry's but coincidentally, Harry decided to try yet another angle, a more distant one and moved backwards again. Draco sharply inhaled and tried to cope with the growing pressure between his legs. This was getting too much, Draco felt slightly suffocated and he decided to tell the other man outright.  
  
'Harry,'  
  
'Hmm?'  
  
'Could you just take a step front?'  
  
'Why must I?'  
  
Always the exasperatingly adorable Gryffindor, Draco sighed.  
  
'Because your leg is making me feel highly uncomfortable,'  
  
'Hmm,'  
  
'So, would you please?' *I hate being polite with this little git*  
  
'Is it the leg or is it my presence?'  
  
'Both, now please move away. I don't want to. . .,'  
  
'Want to what?'  
  
'Harry, *please*, I'm begging you to get off me so that I can help you,'  
  
'Help me? Yes, that *would* be *ideal*,'  
  
'HARRY POTTER!'  
  
'Yes? Why don't you start helping?'  
  
A slight growl from Draco Malfoy as he flushed, from both control and embarrassment.  
  
'Potter, I'm warning you, get off me!'  
  
'But Malfoy, you're supposed to help me,'  
  
'Stop playing innocent! Just damnit get your leg away from me!'  
  
'Shan't,'  
  
Ever the petulant little child, Draco felt like kissing him hard to make him shut up. But that would definitely lead to a rather violent dueling session and Draco felt that he had no strength to fight his lover for so long.  
  
'Harry, please, we need to do the flower arrangement,'  
  
'No,'  
  
'Harr-'  
  
Draco was interrupted in mid-sentence as Harry spun around with the speed of an Unforgivable curse and trapped Draco. Harry's hands found Draco's wrists and pinned him firmly against the table. Then, he leaned in, so that they were chest-to-chest, shoulder-to-shoulder and most importantly lips-to- lips. Harry's pinkish lips brushed lightly against Draco's.  
  
Harry's 'lip-assault' grew fiercer as he felt Draco's wrists twitching under his hands in a bid to escape from him. As their tongues dueled, fiercer and faster, Harry grinned inwardly to feel Draco's wrists stop their pointless fighting back and relax, just as the man under him loosened those tense muscles and simply leaned against the table.  
  
Harry eventually found the self-control to pause for a while. He grinned slightly at Draco's pink lips, flushed face and shaking body.  
  
'Up to the bedroom to finish it off, I think,' he paused and seeing Draco open his mouth to protest against what Harry had in mind, added, 'Ikebana can wait but I can't,'  
  
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Something ticklish under his chin, something soft was tickling against his lips and cheeks. Draco gave a soft groan and opened his eyes. The first thing that came into his view was the ceiling which had serpents and dragons carved on it. But no, it wasn't the ceiling which was tickling him, Draco slowly shifted himself a bit so that he could see the black mess next to him more clearly.  
  
Of course, it was Harry.  
  
Draco could not help but smile at the sleeping man. Harry looked more like a boy in his sleep and in life. He had the petulance of a child and the rebelliousness of a teenager. Harry had his thumb in his mouth, a rather adorable look, but Draco gave an impatient sigh and took the thumb out.  
  
Harry gave a soft whine as he opened his eyes in protest. He blinked a while before focusing on Draco and frowning, trying to remember what happened. Then, a slight grin spread over that face and he held out a hand to Draco.  
  
'No. How many times do you need me to remind you not to stick your thumb into your mouth in an infant?' Draco refused flatly, intent on showing some temper before relenting to take the smaller-sized man in his arms. Harry gave a soft 'hmph' noise and then muttered, 'Sorry,'  
  
'And don't expect a cuddle right now. You must go to the kitchen to complete your damned arrangement. . .go on,' Draco gently pushed the other man off the bed, he himself reached for his silk boxers which were across the bed.  
  
Harry didn't move. Draco sighed and gave in, 'I'll just take a bath. I'll go down after that, alright?'  
  
A charming smile lit up Harry's face again as he slipped on his jeans and shirt and left the room.  
  
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15 Mins later  
  
Draco pushed open the door to the kitchen and made his way to Harry's side.  
  
They worked in silence, Draco lamenting "Weasel" for having a wedding while Harry debated whether to tell Draco his latest definition. He decided to after a while and turned to face Draco while giving Draco his most disarming smile.  
  
'You know, I figured Ikebana is the Japanese way of arranging bodies together afterall,'  
  
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I hope that piece was humorous enough. . .leave your reviews ok? Good? Bad? Average? Just so long as you give constructive feedback . . .anyway, if you're bored, drop by at my other piece 'Oh, Shut Up, Harry!' it's a Harry/Draco slash piece also. And review!!!  
  
Love you guys,  
  
Ice And Fire Vanessa 


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